România

Foreign Ministry takes over one-year chairmanship of National Committee on International Humanitarian Law

​The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Friday took over the chairmanship of the National Committee on International Humanitarian Law (CNDIU) from its predecessor at the committee's helm, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Foreign Ministry said in a release.

Secretary of State Dan Neculaescu will serve as CNDIU chairman.

The activities envisaged by CNDIU this year include analyzing the transposition of international humanitarian law into national law, as well as reviewing the bills for the ratification of amendments to relevant international treaties, the release said.

Other goals for this year include speeding up steps to develop a new National Strategy for the enforcement of International Humanitarian Law and the organization of international dedicated events. Thus, CNDIU will organize together with the International Committee of the Red Cross a regional conference on humanitarian international law for the Central and South-Eastern European states; Bucharest will host the conference over March 27 - 28, 2018.

The event will be an occasion for the participants to discuss subjects of common interest in the field of international humanitarian law and exchange best practices on the functioning of the national committees on international humanitarian law.

The work of CNDIU this year is of particular relevance having in view Romania's candidacy for a non-permanent seat with the UN Security Council, contributing to strengthening the country's profile on the international law dimension, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored.

The National Committee on International Humanitarian Law is an advisory body of the government set up under Government Resolution No. 420 of March 29, 2006 and joins representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture and National Identity and the Ministry of Environment.

The Committee's annual chairmanship is ensured by rotation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the level of Secretary of State.

CNDIU's mission includes examining the measures required nationwide for enforcing and preventing the violation of the humanitarian law provisions included in the international legal instruments Romania is a party of and pursuing the transposition of the international humanitarian law into the national legislation.